Gambling Commission Enforces £150,000 Penalty on Leicester Operator for Self-Exclusion Shortfall

The Gambling Commission has levied a £150,000 fine against Holland Park Leisure Limited after the operator of three adult gaming centres in Leicester neglected to participate in the mandated multi-operator self-exclusion scheme until enforcement action forced its hand, and the case centres on a licence condition that requires every operator to connect to this shared register so customers can exclude themselves across multiple venues at once.

Holland Park Leisure Limited runs three premises in Leicester that fall under the adult gaming centre category, and the commission determined the company had not joined the scheme despite the clear requirement embedded in its operating licence, which means individuals seeking to bar themselves from gambling could not rely on a single exclusion applying across different sites operated by different companies.

Details of the Licence Breach

The multi-operator self-exclusion scheme functions as a central database that participating operators must access, allowing a customer who has self-excluded at one location to have that exclusion honoured at every other participating venue, and regulators treat this participation as a core consumer protection tool designed to reduce gambling-related harm by preventing circumvention through multiple operators.

Holland Park Leisure Limited remained outside the scheme until its licence was suspended in October 2025, at which point teh operator moved to comply, and the commission has since required the company to commission an independent third-party audit covering its policies, procedures, internal controls and staff training to verify that similar gaps do not recur.

Enforcement Timeline and Required Remedies

Commission investigators identified the non-compliance during routine checks, leading to the licence suspension that prompted immediate corrective steps, and the subsequent fine reflects the period during which the operator had operated without fulfilling this specific licence obligation.

The mandated third-party audit must examine every relevant aspect of the operator's compliance framework, including how staff are trained to recognise and enforce self-exclusions, how records are maintained, and how the company integrates with the central scheme database, and the results of that audit will be reviewed by the commission before any further regulatory decisions are taken.

Position of the Director of Enforcement

Director of Enforcement John Pierce stated that participation in the multi-operator self-exclusion scheme constitutes a fundamental and non-optional condition of any gambling licence, underscoring that operators cannot treat the requirement as discretionary or secondary to other business priorities.

The commission's public announcement outlines the sequence of events and the financial penalty, with additional details available through the regulator's public register entry for the specific enforcement action against Holland Park Leisure Limited.

Context Within Existing Regulatory Framework

UK gambling operators must adhere to a suite of licence conditions that address consumer protection, and the self-exclusion scheme requirement sits alongside rules on advertising, age verification and responsible gambling messaging, all of which are monitored through a combination of reporting obligations and targeted inspections.

When an operator fails to meet one of these conditions, the commission can apply a range of sanctions that include fines, licence suspensions and, in the most serious cases, revocation, and the action taken against Holland Park Leisure Limited demonstrates the regulator's willingness to use the full spectrum of available tools to secure compliance.

Conclusion

The case against Holland Park Leisure Limited concludes with the £150,000 penalty and the requirement for an independent audit, establishing a clear record of enforcement that other operators can reference when reviewing their own participation in the multi-operator self-exclusion scheme, and the commission continues to monitor adherence across the sector to ensure the protection remains effective for customers who choose to exclude themselves from gambling activities.